Best of the Week: Peak Positions, Jeanette Grasselli Brown, ICP-MS for Raw Materials in Waste Streams
Spectroscopy published stories highlighting the work of Jeanette Grasselli Brown, as well as the latest analysis on spectral interpretation, atomic spectroscopy, and more.
This week, Spectroscopy published a variety of articles on the hottest topics in analytical spectroscopy and beyond. These articles highlight a wide range of spectroscopic techniques and application areas. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the most popular articles, according to our readers and subscribers. Happy reading!
By Brian C. Smith
In our “IR Spectral Interpretation” column published in our April/May 2024 print issue, Smith reexamines the beginning and intermediate topics of infrared (IR) spectroscopy. He reviews the information that is contained in an IR spectrum, which includes peak positions, peak heights, and peak width, and how all these bits of information tell us about the structure and concentration of molecules in a sample (1).
Icons of Spectroscopy: An Interview with Jeanette Grasselli Brown, Part I
By Caroline Hroncich
Jeanette Grasselli Brown is undoubtedly an icon of spectroscopy. Her story is one of perseverance—forging a path for herself at a time where few women were able to get ahead in science. Grasselli Brown's expertise includes vibrational spectroscopy, combined instrumental techniques, computerized spectroscopy, process analysis and control, and environmental spectroscopy. Spectroscopy associate editorial director Caroline Hroncich sat down with Jeanette Grasselli Brown to talk about her career in spectroscopy.
She holds 13 honorary degrees, including an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Ohio University, her alma mater. Grasselli Brown also holds one patent and has published 80 papers and nine books in the field of IR and Raman spectroscopy. She was the editor of the journal Vibrational Spectroscopy from 1989–1995 (2).
By Glenna Thomas
In our “Atomic Perspectives” column published in our April/May 2024 print issue, Thomas explores the current landscape of global critical raw materials (CRM) trends in research and the applications of atomic spectroscopy (AS), including inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS), inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES), and X-ray analytical techniques in their identification of diverse industrial and environmental media (3).
By Jerome Workman, Jr.
In this article, two distinct baseline correction methods, frequency-domain polynomial fitting, and time-domain molecular free induction decay (m-FID), are compared to determine which approach is more effective in reducing baseline errors in infrared absorption spectra (4).
Unveiling the Link Between Fatty Acids and Neurodegenerative Diseases
By Will Wetzel
Spectroscopy’s 2023 Emerging Leader in Molecular Spectroscopy award winner Dmitry Kurouski and his team recently explored the link between fatty acids and neurodegenerative diseases, examining the potential relationship between LCPUFAs and neurodegenerative diseases like diabetes type 2 and Parkinson's disease (5).
References
(1) Smith, B. C. Infrared Spectral Interpretation, In The Beginning I: The Meaning of Peak Positions, Heights, and Widths. Spectroscopy 2024, 39 (4), 18–24.
(2) Hroncich, C. Icons of Spectroscopy: An Interview with Jeanette Grasselli Brown, Part I. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/icons-of-spectroscopy-an-interview-with-jeanette-grasselli-brown-part-i (accessed 2024-05-09).
(3) Thomas, G. The Application of Atomic Spectroscopy Techniques in the Recovery of Critical Raw Materials from Industrial Waste Streams, Part I. Spectroscopy 2024, 39 (4), 8–11.
(4) Workman, Jr., J. Getting to the Bottom of Baseline: New Study Compares Approaches to Correcting Infrared Spectroscopy Artifacts. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/new-study-compares-approaches-to-correcting-infrared-spectroscopy-artifacts (accessed 2024-05-09).
(5) Wetzel, W. Unveiling the Link Between Fatty Acids and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/unveiling-the-link-between-fatty-acids-and-neurodegenerative-diseases (accessed 2024-05-09).
Using Spectroscopy to Understand Hawaii’s Hidden Geology
May 8th 2025Researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno, have conducted the most comprehensive subsurface analysis of Hawaiian shield basalts to date, using advanced spectroscopic and geochemical techniques to reveal short-lived hydrothermal alteration processes and establish a new foundation for future volcanic and geothermal studies.
How the James Webb Telescope’s MIRI and NIRCam are Advancing Cosmic Exploration
May 2nd 2025Macarena Garcia Marin, an astrophysicist and instrument scientist for the European Space Agency, highlights the role spectroscopy techniques have played in the pivotal research done on the James Webb Telescope since its launch in 2021.
AI and Satellite Spectroscopy Team Up to Monitor Urban River Pollution in China
April 30th 2025A study from Chinese researchers demonstrates how combining satellite imagery, land use data, and machine learning can improve pollution monitoring in fast-changing urban rivers. The study focuses on non-optically active pollutants in the Weihe River Basin and showcases promising results for remote, data-driven water quality assessments.
